Ro & Ro, To & Fro: And Faces...

Some of my candid, street photography from around the world. I am a huge fan of the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson (who many consider to be the father of candid photography), whose work inspires me. However, I'm not insensible to the 'moral dilemma' that street photography presents (which is the question of whether it's fair to take photographs of strangers without their knowledge or consent). Western society, in particular, is becoming increasingly protective of their own image, and there is a growing 'distrust' of photographers. I do see both sides of this argument, and in the years it has taken me to decide whether or not to showcase my photography publicly, I have debated whether or not to include photos such as these. In the end, I have come to the conclusion that without candid street photography, there would be no visual record for future generations to look back on. While all these photos were taken for my own enjoyment, I also think that sharing them serves a purpose - whether that is just to appreciate them aesthetically; to reveal a home-truth; or as a catalogue for future generations to look back on. All were taken in public (and currently, there are no laws against photographing people in public spaces). Some were taken as part of a public performance. Others were taken, admittedly, without the knowledge of the subject. The nature of candid photography, is such that you can't rush up to a person to ask their permission to shoot them, or for their consent to use a photograph you have already taken (especially as in most of these cases, there is a language barrier). I see a moment, and I capture it before it is gone, forever. These are some of my favourite photos that I treasure most, and I hope you can appreciate my reasons for sharing them. However, the difference with this set is that I don't feel it would be right to profit from a photograph taken of someone else without their knowledge, so I make the following exception below:

The vast majority of my photographs on this blog are available to purchase as prints, or as large digital files for commercial or stock use. As with other photos on this site, this particular set is available to purchase as prints: any profit from print sales from this set will be donated to Action Aid (my personal favourite overseas charity). Unlike other images on my blog, this set is not available for commercial, advertising or stock purposes.